The Hire 12.

The Southern Reaches. The Colevar Mountains...

It's late afternoon when they stop to make camp. The march south towards the border has been fairly easy going due to the state of the road they're on. By far the best that goes through the foothills in the southern reaches of the unruled lands that heads to the kingdom of Nastell.
Even the following war machines and siege engines have had a good time of it. Much to the relief of Tovis the war engineer. The young commander in charge of the engineer's corp in the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
As his corp set up their camp, the war engineer who is originally from the kingdom of Druvic. Makes his way forward to where the field commander Talbot has his tent.
Those in the mercenary army from the lands Farque have already set up camp.
While the bulk of the force, who are made up of the army of the robber baron Markell. Are a bit slower in setting up their camp.
Tovis, who was once the war engineer for the baron Harkonin in eastern Druvic. Spots Shur Kee the monk sitting beneath a tree up the side of the hill behind the camp.
The commander of the engineer's corp in the mercenary army from the lands Farque changes direction, and heads up the hill to where the short, statured monk is sitting beneath a tree.
There's actually a bit of breeze blowing here in the late afternoon. Helping to keep the temperature down. Though it is still hot and dry.
Much drier than what Tovis is accustomed to. As eastern Druvic where he's originally from. Is either lush, green, verdant farmland. Or thick green forests.
The wooded hills here in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains. Are more sparse, with the trees far apart, with little undergrowth.
Even now in the early summer. Beneath the tree canopy it's dry. While down in the dells and valleys, what green grass there is, if it isn't already brown, it's definitely turning brown.
"Greetings friend Tovis" says Shur Kee the monk when the war engineer joins him in the small amount a shade the tree provides.
"Greetings to you Shur Kee" says Tovis the war engineer who then looks down at the camp below.
"How did your day go?" asks the acolyte in the order of Bru Li. Who in his thin, white, almost robe like clothing. Along with his odd conical shaped hat. Is fairly comfortable in the dry heat of the day here in the foothills of the Colevar Mountains.
"Pretty good" says the commander of the engineer's corp, who continues with "Just had the one breakage". Tovis then explains to Shur Kee how the wheel of one of the trebuchets broke, and had to be replaced.
Some of the engineers are now fixing that broken wheel, where they've set up down in the camp below.
Then after the monk who hails from the kingdom of Wah Lee, which is located on the far eastern coast of the continent. Thousands of miles from the Southlands.
Tells the war engineer how his day went. Which he spent mostly in the company of the field commander Talbot. The physical adept says to Tovis "Friend Mira arrived this morning".
The young engineer who spotted the krean strikeship Fídiablo in the sky this morning, nods his head when Shur Kee tells him "He is with the field commander and the robber baron Markell at the moment".
Tovis knows that the mage Reinholt, who is a member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, will be here as a go between. Between the field commander and the robber baron.
For though Markell wasn't fully against the Farqian mercenary army being in command of the campaign against duke Hargen, like his fellow robber barons Larimer and Almard.
He wasn't totally for it, such as the two youngest of the robber barons, Gergus and Solomard.
Then there's the fact that within the army of the robber baron Markell. Is a large number of spellcasters. As he's hired more of them than the other four robber barons combined.
And since his claim on the southern reaches is further north in the mountain range than the four other robber barons.
He even has a couple of dwarven spellcasters, delvers. Within his army, not to mention a fairly significant sized battalion of dwarven warriors from a couple of the clans within his claim in the unruled lands in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains.
Tovis slightly smiles as the main reason Dorc da Orc isn't with this army is because of the significant amount of dwarves that the robber baron Markell has with him.
And the fact the ork warleader, is with the army led by the field commander Tamric Drubine.
That force will be the main thrust of the attack against the duchy of Phelm and duke Hargen's army.
"Suppose we better see what's happening" says the commander of the engineering corp of the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
Shur Kee nods, then stands up, then he and the young engineer who hails from the Harkonin fief in eastern Druvic make their way down the hill.
As they do, Tovis spots on the road, one of his officer. Basically, his second. The sorcerer Larris. Who was assigned to the engineer's corp before they left the lands Farque, faraway to the south.
The sorcerer, who though young, around the same age as Tovis. Is apparently quite powerful for a sorcerer. Not that the war engineer exactly knows, as he's yet to see Larris in action.
As the sorcerer who hails from the capital of the lands Farque, The Citadel. Has only cast spells so far to help with messages. And like to today, to help with the replacing of the broken wheels on one of the trebuchets.
Larris joins them when they get down to the road, besides which, the camp has been set up.
"Some of the scouting patrols have come in" says Larris the sorcerer, a fairly short individual, who like all the spellcasters in the mercenary army from the lands Farque, where's armour. In his case, light leather armour. Along with the black tabbard, that has the crest of his lord upon it.
"No sign of the enemy in the area" adds the sorcerer who is a born Farqian.
The war engineer and his second look at Shur Kee the monk who quietly informs them that Mira Reinholt the mage told him that there was an enemy warship in the area earlier this morning.
Further away to the southwest, where it was destroyed by the krean strikeship the Fídiablo.
"I wondered what all that thudding in the distance was this morning" quietly says Tovis the war engineer, the sorcerer Larris nods in agreement. As he heard it too. Though he couldn't sense what it was, as it was too far away to do so.
The three of them walk off the road, and make their way through the rows of tents.
It's Shur Kee who leads the way to the tent of field commander Talbot. The commander of the heavy foot battalion in the mercenary army from the lands Farque. Quite a few of whom are with this army. As they are with the army led by field commander Tamric Drubine.
While the majority of them are with the rest of the Farqian mercenary army to the north, which is under the command of general Halvane.
Mira Reinholt the mage who is reading a parchment, detailing some of the movement of the enemy.
Looks up as someone enters the large command tent. Infact it's three new arrivals. Shur Kee the monk, Tovis the war engineer and Larris the sorcerer, who is the young war engineer's second.
"Everything go alright today?" Mira Reinholt the mage asks Tovis who sits beside him on the bench the once powerful mage has claimed.
"It did councillor" is the reply of Tovis who details the only problem today, was the breakage of a wheel on one of the trebuchets. A wheel that was quickly replaced.
As Shur Kee and Larris wander over to a side table to get something to eat and drink. And Tovis continues telling the mage Reinholt how his day went.
The exiled Vexilian mage who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, looks to the tent flap, that opens and field commander Talbot enters.
The large man in the heavy plate armour. Who has a large, long handled hammer strapped to his back.
Is followed into the tent by the robber baron Markell, along with the robber baron's second as well as a few others in the robber baron's army.
Those few are all spellcasters according to the magical senses of the mage Reinholt.
Field commander Talbot looks in the direction of the mage who sits upon the personal council of lord Farque. Then he glances at those who followed him into the tent. Talbot then looks back at the mage Reinholt and wryly smiles.
The spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
Covers a grin up with a gloved hand. And he suppresses a laugh that threatens to escape.
Even from where he sits on the otherside of the command tent, the mage who is also a highly skilled swordmaster can hear the complaining voice of the robber baron Markell.
As Shur Kee and the sorcerer Larris take a seat on the bench next to the one Tovis and Mira are sitting on.
The young war engineer from the kingdom of Druvic, quietly says to the Vexilian mage in exile sitting beside him "And he's one of the better one's to get along with".
The swordmaster Reinholt slightly nods, then quietly says "Imagine how bad it is for Tam and Helbe" the once powerful mage continues with "They've got to contend with Almard and Larimer. Who are much worse than Markell here".
After a moment, Shur Kee the monk quietly says from the other bench "And friends Dorc and Percavelle".
"Those two as well" quietly says the mage Reinholt, who is more than glad he was sent to help this army led by field commander Talbot.
As without doubt, he can see the most trouble coming from the robber barons who young Tamric Drubine is leading. Added to that is sir Percavelle Lé Dic. Along with Dorc da Orc and his army of goblins.
That's one giant disaster that's just waiting to happen. And probably sooner, rather than later.
It's probably why they got the hardest section to tackle, Mira Reinholt thinks to himself, who has a sneaking suspicion that lord Farque had that particular army in mind even before they left his lands.
With Tamric Drubine leading it, having Dorkindle and Percy with him. And prince Helbenthril Raendril overlooking them all.
Add those robber barons who were dead set against the mercenary army from the lands Farque being in command of their war against the duke of Phelm, duke Hargen.
The most volatile mix of personalities possible. Who are bound to be more than upset with one another in a short time. Where tempers will flare up. And altercations are more than likely to take place.
Feel sorry for the enemy who run into that fucking lot, the mage Reinholt thinks to himself with a slight shake of his head.
Then he glances at Tovis beside him, who quietly says "Did i hear that right?" the commander of the engineering corp in the mercenary army from the lands Farque then adds "He wants himself and his magic users to lead the way across the border into Nastell".
The spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster listens carefully to what the robber baron Markell is talking to commander Talbot about.
The mage who is in exile from his homeland, the city-state of Vexil. Quickly gets up off the bench he's on, and looks over at Shur Kee, who is eating a flatbread, stuffed with roasted vegetables.
The once powerful mage nods for the short, statured monk to come along with him. The physical adept, stuffs the rest of his flatbread into his mouth. And gets up off the bench he's on. And follows the mage Reinholt across the command tent, to where the field commander is in conversation with the robber baron.
Tovis shares a look with his second Larris. And after a moment, the two of them get up, and follow after the exiled Vexilian mage and the monk from the far eastern coast of the continent.
In mid sentence, where he's pushing his argument to personally lead the way across the border into the duchy of Phelm with his cadre of spellcasters.
Markell the robber baron says "Councillors" and nods his head to the two men who have just walked over. One about six foot tall, and is all in black. The other, a little over five and half foot tall, who is all in white.
"Markell" says Mira Reinholt who remembers not to call him robber baron. As Markell, along with the four other robber barons who are in a campaign against duke Hargen of Phelm. Don't like being referred to as a robber baron.
Shur Kee the monk, who is also a member of the personal council of lord Farque. Though only a honorary member, as that is all he was willing to take when he was asked to join.
Nods his head in reply to the robber baron. Whose claim in the unruled lands of the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains. Is further north than the claims of the four other robber barons he's joined up with to wage war upon duke Hargen. Whose duchy is the northern most in the kingdom of Nastell.
Mira Reinholt, who definitely doesn't want Markell and his spellcasters out infront of the rest of the army led by field commander Talbot.
Says to the robber baron "Markell, i think it's prudent that you listen to the commander here" the once powerful mage continues with "It wouldn't be wise for you to be out infront of the rest of the army as we cross into Nastell" Mira silently adds in a dry tone, though it might solve some of our problems if you get yourself killed in quick fashion crossing the border.
The highly skilled swordmaster, who knows that the death of the robber baron would probably cause more problems than advantages. Tells Markell "Let commander Talbot deploy who he thinks is best to cross the border first".
After glancing at his second, and those of his army who came into the command tent with him, Markell asks the man all in black "Is that an order councillor?".
"If need be" is the quick reply from the mage Reinholt, who along with Shur Kee has the ability to have the final say in orders for this particular army. As the two of them are to watch over both the field commander Talbot. And the young war engineer Tovis. The two senior most military leaders in this particular army. Which is further west than the others that are making their way south to the border with the kingdom of Nastell.
"Remember, you did agree for us to be in command of your war" says the exiled Vexilian mage, who then adds "That is what you're paying us for".
The robber baron Markell winces at that reminder, then he says in a slightly sour tone "Of course".
The robber baron then says to Talbot "What you think is best commander". After a nod from the field commander in the mercenary army from the lands Farque. The robber baron, and those with him. Turn and make their way out of the command tent.
After a few moments of silence in the large command tent, Tovis who along with his second Larris, was standing a few paces behind Mira Reinholt and Shur Kee, says "If we weren't already, we definitely need to keep an eye on him and those spellcasters of his".
Everyone else nods in agreement with that fairly obvious statement from the young war engineer from the kingdom of Druvic . . . . . .